The invention concerns an automatic feeder for pigs, including piglets and porkers, comprising a dry-feed supply and a water supply which are led to a feeding trough.
Automatic feeders with both dry-feed supply and water supply are known in different configurations.
A commonly-known type of automatic feeder comprises a trough with a raised part with a so-called feeding plateau on which the dry-feed can lie when led out via a supply pipe.
Extending around this feeding plateau there is a water chamber, which means that the pigs have access both to the dry-feed and water, Under normal conditions, however, there is no possibility of the formation of wet-feed, the reason being that the dry-feed and the water fall down into separate compartments, Therefore, with this type of automatic feeder the pigs have access only to dry-feed and clean water.
A second type of automatic feeder comprises a trough to which both the feed-stuff and the water are fed via a supply pipe down to one compartment. Consequently, with this type of automatic feeder the pigs only have access to wet-feed-stuff.
Moreover, where both of these types of feeders are concerned, a leaking drinking-water valve will result in a continuous supply of water, and herewith a soaking of all the dry-feed, the consequence being that the pigs have access neither to dry-feeds nor wet-feeds. Moreover, the feed-stuff gets ruined by the constant supply of water.